2007-04-04 13:28:56 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
In principle, yes. In practice, the limiting factor is the amount of dust and particulate matter that is available in the protoplanetary disk for the new planet to sweep up and accrete. Most of the mass in the disk is gaseous; there usually isn't enough particulate stuff to make superbig rocky planets.
When you say "as large" as Jupiter, we must assume that you referring to Jupiter's mass (which is about 300 times as massive as the Earth), as opposed to its diameter. Jupiter is 10 times the diameter of the Earth and 1/5 the density. If a rocky planet were to grow to the *diameter * of Jupiter it would be 5000 times the mass of the Earth, i.e. about 17 times the mass of Jupiter. At that mass, it would be heavy enough to start burning hydrogen at its core and would turn into a small star itself, and thus no longer be a planet.
2007-04-05 11:09:17 · answer #1 · answered by Astronomer1980 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By 'terrestrial planet' it's meant a planet that has a solid surface. There's no theoretical reason why Jupiter-size terrestrial planets couldn't exist.
2007-04-04 21:51:56 · answer #2 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
A Terrestrial planet is one similar to Terra - Earth.
Jupiter is not one tiny bit like our warm cuddly home planet.
The gravity on a Jupiter sized world would crush you flat.
2007-04-04 20:55:58 · answer #3 · answered by jinoturistica 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm pretty sure they cannot, but I'm having trouble finding evidence. All of the large ones we've found are gas giants. the rocky ones are much smaller.
2007-04-04 20:39:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Perhaps but they didn't in our solar system. There's no science that says they can't.
2007-04-04 20:31:55 · answer #5 · answered by Gene 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
of course they can, but not in our solar system
2007-04-04 23:55:30 · answer #6 · answered by 22 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why not?
2007-04-04 22:59:36 · answer #7 · answered by Morpheus 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋